1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an adjustable basketball standard which enables the user to adjust the height of the rim. More particularly, the present invention relates to an adjustable standard which is configured to provide improved durability, ease of use, and an improved range of heights at which the basketball rim may be used.
2. State of the Art
The game of basketball has long been one of the most popular sporting activities in the United States of America and has gained considerable popularity in other countries. The ever increasing popularity of the game in the United States and abroad is due, in part, to the increasing involvement of young children. For many years very young children did not play basketball because it was difficult to shoot a ball through the rim which is typically positioned ten feet off of the ground.
This problem was at least partially resolved with the creation of adjustable basketball standards. The devices typically include a mast which is either embedded in concrete, or attached to a movable anchor filled with a weighting material, such as sand. The backboard and rim are attached to the mast by an adjustable support mechanism, and a control mechanism to hold the support mechanism at a desired location. The most common expression of such an adjustable basketball standard incorporated a parallelogram configuration such as that shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,801,142; 4,805,904; 4,881,734; 5,133,547; 5,324,027; and 5,388,821.
The parallelogram structure typically enabled the rim to be moved from 10 feet above the playing surface down to approximately 7 feet above the playing surface. This reduction of height made it easier for young children to throw a basketball through the rim. The ability to lower the height of the rim and backboard was also quickly valued by youths and less athletic players who were finally able to imitate their favorite professional and college players by dunking the basketball.
As shown by the above-referenced patents, considerable effort has been spent attempting to improve the parallelogram configuration. Additional support mechanisms have been included, different control mechanisms have been suggested to hold the support mechanisms in place and other modifications have been proposed. All of these efforts, however, overlook the fundamental disadvantages which are present in the parallelogram configuration.
One problem with the parallelogram configuration is that it limits the extent to which the user may adjust the height of the rim. While a range of 7 to 10 feet is desirable for older youths, many younger children are unable to reach the rim, and many very young children are still unable to throw a basketball therethrough. While some shorter masts have been provided, this prevents placement of the rim at regulation height for use by older youths and adults.
Another problem with the parallelogram design is that there are numerous critical locations within the configuration (primarily the pivot points). If any one of these were to fail, the entire standard may be unusable. In other words, many of these systems have too many moving parts which can be damaged or lost.
Yet another disadvantage of the parallelogram configuration is that the backboard follows an arcuate movement path. Thus, the backboard and rim are disposed further forward of the baseline when the support arms are horizontal than when the support arms are disposed semivertically. Likewise, forward movement of the backboard changes the distance between the backboard and points on the playing surface, such the foul line and the three point line, further affecting the shot of the user. In some systems, the distance can increase as much as 8 to 12 inches, potentially altering the shot of the user. Furthermore, the greater the range of heights at which the rim can be placed, the greater the potential horizontal displacement.
Still another disadvantage of many of the parallelogram configurations is that no support is provided when the control mechanism is released to allow raising or lowering of the backboard. No support is provided to counter the weight of the rim, the backboard and the associated support structure. Thus, it is often difficult for young children and petite men and women to raise or lower the backboard and rim to the desired location.
Thus, there is a need for an improved adjustable basketball standard. Such a standard should provide an increased range of movement of the rim, dependability and ease of adjustment.